So what is this game?
When I started working on Critternauts, I knew I wanted to capture that specific feeling of 90s SNES classics, but with a few twists from the modern games I love. I've also been sneaking in some DNA from metroidvanias and even immersive sims (but nothing crazy, it's a traditional JRPG after all).
What does that actually mean for the gameplay? Well, it’s still a traditional JRPG at its heart: you’ll push the story forward and gear up your party as you unlock new zones. But I’m designing the world to be less "one-and-done". As you gain new abilities, you can head back to earlier areas to poke around. You'll find that many of those old paths now lead to hidden loot, secrets, side quests, or puzzles you couldn't solve before. I’m making sure there’s plenty of endgame 'extras' for those of you who really like to uncover every secret.
Roadmap:
I'll plan to release a demo sometime in June, featuring one of the first larger maps in the game and the 1.0 version should be out in July or August. But I'll try to have the release date set once the demo is out.
Gonna have a few more posts like this in the coming weeks and months!